Landing is one of the most demanding tasks in flying. During the landing process, the aircraft generally must be brought to a safe and complete stop within a given runway distance. Conventional systems may provide estimates of the amount of runway necessary to safely land the aircraft. These estimates are based on certified, known landing distance data. The known landing distance data, however, is based on the aircraft having a particular energy, which includes the speed (i.e., the kinetic energy) and the height (i.e., the potential energy) of the aircraft. In other words, the landing distance data is predicated on crossing the threshold of the runway at a specified height and a specified speed. If the pilot crosses the runway threshold at the improper height or speed, the necessary runway distance may vary from this estimate. For example, if the aircraft is traveling too fast or too high, the aircraft will need additional runway length, or the aircraft must expend energy from the engine to slow down the aircraft. In addition to speed and height, additional factors are commonly considered by the pilot when evaluating the landing. These factors can include contaminated runway conditions, wind conditions, and availability of certain types of equipment. Unless the aircraft crosses the threshold of the runway at the specified height and speed and none of these additional factors are present, the pilot is generally required to estimate the actual aircraft energy, and the amount of landing distance required, and to compare these distances to evaluate the safety of the landing.
If the pilot does not accurately estimate the energy of the aircraft and the remaining length of the runway, the aircraft could potentially overrun the end of the runway. Pilots are trained to monitor these conditions during the approach, and to initiate a go-around maneuver if a safe landing is not assured. In any of these situations, however, the effectiveness of pilot training depends on the skill and judgment of the pilot in recognizing a possible runway overrun condition, and in executing the appropriate response. Pilots with varying levels of skill are therefore likely to respond differently to the same scenario.
Additionally, in most landing and departure situations, the pilot's vision is the sole data source for estimating runway position information. Even with existing high standards for pilot eyesight, some variation in acuity will occur as the pilot's physical condition, alertness, and state of rest vary. If the pilot's vision is the sole source of data used to determine whether a go-around or aborted takeoff is appropriate, then variations in visual acuity, distractions or poor visibility may reduce the quality of the data used in the pilot's decision. In addition, a pilot may fly for years without experiencing a runway overrun, and the pilot may be slow to recognize a problem during landing.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods that monitor the energy state of the aircraft during a landing condition and provide the pilot with a warning if an overrun situation may occur. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.